There is a new candidate for Portland City Council District 2 (N/NE). You may have already heard his name. Or, I should say, I saw his name on the side of cider cans at stores and gatherings around our city. Rev. Nat Hard has built his cider business over his 12 years from the basement of his home to a garage in the Woodlawn neighborhood to stores and refrigerators around the world. I'm thinking of waking it up.
West arrived at The Shed a few hours ago on his rugged Radwagon cargo bike and we had a wide-ranging conversation that provided a great introduction to this interesting candidate. I wasn't there when former pub owner Bud Clark made a surprising run for mayor and became a local folk hero, but I've come to think of West as this election's Bud Clark. Don't expect him to do lots of media interviews, talk like a politician, or attend all the mandatory election events. Instead of running a typical campaign, he plans to spend his time meeting people at small gatherings and happy hours around the city, while also continuing his new day job as a TriMet bus driver.
In today's interview (listen below), after sharing a list of the bikes he's owned his entire life and how he started his cider business by collecting apples from trees around town on his bike, West talks about the George Floyd of 2020. He spoke about the protests and their efforts. A public battle with the city of Portland ignited his political career.
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West was on the front lines of the protests when he and his teenage daughter were seriously injured by federal police gunfire. I asked West how the protests have affected his positions on issues like policing and racism, and whether he regrets taking to the streets every week. (He has no regrets). Other topics covered include:
- Once he takes office, how will he balance activism, idealism, realism, and progress?
- What exactly does he want to do to support small business owners?
- Why does he think PBOT should be focused on maintenance rather than “shiny new infrastructure” (and I'm perpetuating that false binary on his campaign website) I objected to that.
- His ideas for reforming the Portland Police Bureau.
- And of course we talk about cider and other things.
Thanks to Brock Dittus of Sprocket Podcast, known for his great theme music.
Listen in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts.
